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Goodbye, red engines: SAS is repainting its planes in new colors

Scandinavian Airlines’ signature red engines will soon be a thing of the past. The airline unveiled on Thursday its first update to its livery in 21 years on Thursday.

The airline describes its updated colors as a modern take on a classic Scandinavian design. After a cabin interior overhaul in 2015, the airline says that the updated livery aligns the interior and exterior of its aircraft. The first aircraft to feature the new livery will be the most modern of the airline’s fleet, the Airbus A350s and A320neos.

“The new livery design is a symbol of our future, a more sustainable and competitive future for SAS, but one that also embraces our heritage,” SAS CEO and President Rickard Gustafson said in a statement.

The biggest change to the livery is silver replacing the airline’s most distinguishable feature, those red engines. Continuing with the silver theme, there is a striking SAS in giant letters situated at the front of the aircraft. (That’s the acronym of Scandinavian Airlines System; SAS was created as the multinational flag carrier of Denmark, Norway and Sweden.)

The airline’s new livery will also feature “Scandinavian” on the underbelly of the fuselage, a feature that Emirates, Alitalia, Delta and others have introduced as well.

The move follows recent changes to their liveries by the carrier’s Star Alliance partners United Airlines and Lufthansa, both of which also went for simpler, modern and predominantly blue and white/silver liveries.

Existing aircraft in the fleet will get the new livery in accordance with the airline’s already-scheduled repaint process. All SAS aircraft will feature the new livery by 2024.

SAS has a robust network in the US, with flights to its three constituent countries from Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, Miami, New York (Newark), San Francisco and Washington. The first of eight Airbus A350-900 on order, featuring the new livery, will enter service on the Copenhagen to Chicago from January 28, 2020, SAS said in a statement. You might spot an older A330 and A340 from the airline’s all-Airbus long-haul fleet repainted in the new colors before then, so keep your eyes open at airports served by SAS!